Family Friendly 5 Star in Orlando - Four Seasons vs Ritz

Living about 2 hours from Orlando has afforded us quite a few trips with our toddler to this destination. Note that we often just stay at the resort as chasing after said toddler in Disney at this point does not appeal to us! This is truly a review and comparison of the amenities of each resort from a toddler mom standpoint!

Price - When we stayed in March for the Ritz the room was around $800 which we used our annual AMEX Fine Hotels reward so it ended up costing us $600 and included breakfast for 2 up to $100 daily! In comparison, in April for the Four Seasons we spent $1405 and this also included breakfast up to $40 a person. The amenities differ at each resort which help explain some of the price differences but Ritz is clearly the winner in this category. Pro Tip: If you have AMEX platinum try to book a Thursday night as the prices are cheaper and you get late 4PM checkout on Friday to make it an enjoyable long weekend.

In Room Amenities - From a pure room size difference, the basic rooms in each hotel are roughly 20sq ft different. The Four Seasons is slightly larger at 500 sq ft but the room itself is very well laid out and tends to feel larger. The rooms are also newer at the Four Seasons so they tuck the closet away and laid out the space in a more modern style. The bathroom itself feels more luxurious at the Four Seasons especially with the built in TV in the mirror! The balcony is also larger at the Four Seasons and the pull out couch is a true couch size versus Ritz which is either a chair or curved sofa. From a mom perspective, The Four Seasons also provided a larger crib than we saw at the Ritz. In addition they brought up a diaper genie which they placed in the bathroom and was a nice perk for no additional cost! At the Ritz, it was very challenging to find a place to throw the diapers away as all the in room trash cans are open air. Also, they brought up cookies after lunch which was very thoughtful! Winner: Four Seasons. Pro Tip: At the Four Seasons they also have a small drying rack for your swimsuits tucked in next to the vanity.

Pool - The Ritz Carlton has one large pool, a large communal hot tub, and a splash pad for the little ones. In my opinion, the splash pad needs some attention and its not in a place that parents would find very relaxing. Anyone staying at the Ritz can also go use the JW Marriott pools which includes a water park for older children. The Four Seasons has several pools including an adult only pool, a family pool, a splash pad that is very large and a 1.5 ft at the deepest. They also have a lazy river, 2 water slides, a water volleyball space, and overall loungers everywhere with ample shade. Winner: Four Seasons. Pro Tip: The Four Seasons provides life jackets at each pool in various sizes but make sure to pick one up early as they are still limited.

Splash pad at Four Seasons Orlando

Kids Club/Amenities - Both resorts offer a kids club that caters to children age 4 - 12 and provides daily activities for them. If I had a child in that age bracket, the Four Seasons would be the clear winner as they had a lot of counselors that were engaging and took kids out to play in the various pools/sports court. The Ritz kids club costs $150 for the day while Four Seasons I believe is included. The Ritz playground however is a much nicer playground as its on turf versus Four Seasons which has an odd molded material and its hilly in the sun so not great! Pro Tip: They have a small train at the Ritz that goes from JW to Ritz which is a great toddler activity to break up the day!

Train between Ritz Orlando and JW Marriott Orlando

Food - The Four Seasons offers any children under 5 to eat free at the restaurants on property which is a huge perk for families especially with multiple children however, this does not apply to the Character Breakfast with Goofy. (it also is not included when you eat poolside - learned this one the hard way.) Children 3 and under can attend the breakfast free of charge but anyone over 3 must pay and for parents it's nearly $50 for the buffet each! However it was great to have this for our toddler right downstairs. The Ritz does not a kids eat free program and does not have any association with Disney/Character Breakfast. The Ritz does have a nice buffet at their restaurant but the dinner at the same restaurant is very southern inspired and therefore limited in my opinion. You can walk over to the JW for additional restaurant outlets but it is quite a walk! Both resorts have a "fancy" restaurant which we have not tried either with our toddler. The Four Seasons has an Italian restaurant that we thought was great and rather affordable. Winner: Four Seasons. Pro Tip: Book your Character breakfast at 9AM so you can eat and then Goofy and his friends will come around after you settled in. We arrived at 830 and Goofy was making his rounds so we didn't eat right away and then ate when he took a break.

Overall - If you have not guessed by now, Four Seasons Orlando is the clear winner in a lot of categories however it is significantly priced. I mean there are 5 star resorts in Italy that are cheaper than a night at the Four Seasons Orlando! You are certainly paying for all the amenities so it would almost be a waste to go to the Disney Parks while staying here but that is another perk that they offer. Both are great options and offer their own experiences. I think if you only have one Orlando trip a year - a splurge at the Four Seasons is definitely worth it! If you are local, it may be nice to mix it up between the two especially as the Ritz can have some great summer deals!

Hope you have enjoyed and cannot wait to share my next blog post!